Solomon's Temple

A squat stone tower about 6 m high, standing on the crown of Grin Low at roughly 437 m above sea level. It is the landmark you see on the skyline from much of Buxton, and the short climb up to it turns that silhouette into a broad viewpoint over the town and the surrounding Peak District hills.

From the grassy summit and the tower's small viewing platform the outlook opens out in almost every direction: Buxton spread out below, green hills and moorland edges beyond. On a clear day the view can reach distant heights including Mam Tor and Shivering Mountain, though low cloud and haze often close things down. The tower itself sits among paths, rough grass and scattered trees, with open sky above.

Most approaches climb through Grin Low plantation, where the woodland floor still carries the humps and hollows of old quarrying and lime burning. The destination is a specific, named and Grade II listed structure with a summit platform, rather than a viewpoint you happen to reach along a footpath.

The walk up is short but genuinely uphill, and some approaches are steep and tiring, particularly in wet weather. Inside, the spiral stairs are narrow, steep and thin, which will not suit everyone, and the tower is not wheelchair accessible. Anyone unsure on steps or confined stairways may prefer to enjoy the view from the grassy summit around the base.

The present tower was built in 1896 and restored in 1988, replacing an earlier structure linked to Solomon Mycock, a local farmer and landowner, which is how the name stuck. It stands on a Bronze Age barrow; work during construction is recorded as uncovering Beaker-period burials and later Roman finds. That is background to read about rather than anything on show, so treat the mound itself with care.

It is a modest folly, not a grand monument, and a few visitors find the build-up larger than the tower. The reward is the panorama and the walk through the plantation, so pick a day with visibility and reasonable footwear, and keep expectations sized to a short hilltop excursion.